Process of manufacturing gaseous fuel.



1. ni'nosE;

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GASEOUS FUEL. APPLICATION FIRED MAY 19. I9I6.'

Patented Jan. 1, 1918;.

" 2 SHEETFSHEET I.

1. a. ROSE. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING BASEOUS FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED v19. 1-915."

Patented Jan. 1 191a '2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

r ears PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GASEOUS FUEL.

epee'lflcatton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. i, 1918.

original application filed December 9, 1915, Serial No. 65,954. Divided and. this application filed May 19,

1916. Serial No. 98,553.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES R. Rose, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgeworth, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Manufacturing Gaseous Fuel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings.

This invention relates to a process of manufacturing gaseous fuel, and more particularly to a process for the production and enriching of gaseous fuel thereby to render it suitable for the cutting and welding art.

A general object of the invention is to produce a fuel which shall possess a higher efficiency than those which have been ordinarily employed heretofore, and more specifically one which shall contain a relatively large proportion of the higher and richer members of the hydrocarbon series, resulting in the ing value.

A further object of the invention is to produce a fluid ofthe kind referred to in a particularly eflicient and economical manner.

Further and more generally stated the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of steps embodied in the claims hereto annexed and realizable in and through the apparatus illustrated in the drawings forming part hereof, wherein Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional view corre-' sponding substantially to the line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig, 2 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Fi 1, some of the parts being shown in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a detail in elevation of the connections for supplying fluids to the generators.

The apparatus illustrated herein comprises a pair of generators, each preferably rectangular in outline and each having connections for supplying thereto a preheating fluid or fluids as well as a fluid or fluids to be enriched, with a retort located in the upper portion of each generator and arranged to discharge into the upper part of the other generator, whereby each generator may serve as a means for producing an addiproduction of a gas of high heat-.

tional enriching fluid to be supplied to the other. As these generators are identical in construction, the corresponding parts thereof will be indicated by like reference characters.

Describing such parts by reference characters, 1 denotes the outer shell and 2 the refractory lining of a generator. This refractory lining may be of any suitable well known material; and each generator is so constructed as to provide a front flue or chamber 3 and a rear flue or chamber 4, said flues or chambers communicating at their upper ends by means of a transverse flue or passageway 5. arranged within the chambers 3 and 4, in checker-workformation; and the bottoms of the flues or chambers 3 and 4 are located at a sufficient distance above the bottom of each generator body as to provide an ample thickness of refractory material 2 below such chambers.

6 denotes a partition, preferably of sheet steel, which extends transversely across each generator between the chambers 3 and 4: and which also extends from the bottom of the generator upwardly to the top of the refractory dividing wall 2 between such chambers. This partition prevents the seepage of gases from the chamber or flue on one side thereof to the chamber or flue on the opposite side thereof.

-7 denotes an inlet connection pipe communicating with the front or charging wall of each generator and discharging into the bottom of the chamber 3, beneath the arch 3 .This connection is provided with a gate valve 8 and is extended from such valve, as

indicated at 8, to a suitable air blower (not shown). 9 denotes a nozzle extending into the pipe 7 in front of the check valve 8 and through which a suitable preheating fluid may be introduced into the bottom of the chamber 3 beneath the arch 3". This nozzle preferably extends axially into the connection 9 and is adapted to receive a preheating fluid, such as hydrogen (or other suitable gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon) and to supply the same, commingled with air conducted through the connection 8. i

The flue 5 is provided with an outlet connection 10 having a weighted blow-odor pressure relief valve therein, the operatlng handle for such valve being indicated at 11.,

A retort 12 is supported in the upper end of the fiue3 of each generator and extends across and through the refractory material 2 of the other generator, discharging into the upper part of the chamber 3 thereof. On the opposite side of each chamber 3, from that into which the retort discharges, there is located a connection 13 having a suitable door or gate 14, whereby access may be had to the upper end of such chamber 3 and to the Opposed discharge end of the retort. Each retort is provided with a nozzle 15 discharging axially thereinto and at one side of the chamber 3, such nozzle being conveniently provided on the end of a pipe 15*. This pipe may conduct superheated or dried steam to the nozzle and be used for the purpose of injecting liquid hydrocarbon, supplied through a suitably connected pipe, such as the pipe 15. Each retort extends through the outer wall of its respective generator and is there provided with a suitable door or closure 12.

From the arch 4t at the bottom of each chamber 4 there extends an outlet flue 16 the discharge cud whereof projects downwardly into a receptacle 16, the lower end of such flue being sealed by the liquid within the receptacle. Projecting upwardly from each outlet flue 16 is a pipe 17 having a pressure relief valve therein similar to the Valve in the flue 10, the operating handle for the valve in each pipe 17 being indicated at l'Y.

The receptacle 16 preferably extends across the rear ends of both generators and is connected to both generators. From the top of the receptacle 16, and preferably intermediate of the pipes 15, there extends an outlet pipe 18 having its receiving end above the liquid in the tank 16. communicates with the bottom of the scrubbing tank 19 having a series of transverse perforated partitions 20, said partitions supporting suitable porous material 21, the top of the tank 19 being provided with a spraying nozzle 22 having the lower end thereof above the uppermost partition and the material thereupon.

From the scrubber a pipe 23 extends into a tank 24 which may contain a hydrocarbon liquid of one of the higher or richer series, the pipe being provided with perforations 23 beneath the top of the liquid in said tank, whereby the gas discharged from the scrubber may be further enriched. From the enriching tank 24; a pipe 25 leads to a suitable storage tank (not shown) or to the point of use.

From the front of the generators there project pipes or projections 26 which provide means for applying pyrometers to the This pipe 18 L panacea chambers 3 or means for the application of instruments for estimating the temperature in such chambers by observation, as by means of a color test.

In operation, gas (as for instance hydro gen, or artificial or natural gas), may be introduced from the pipe 9" into the connection 7 through the nozzle 9, either with or Without liquid hydrocarbon introduced through the pipe 9. This gas, mingled with air supplied through the connection 8, will be introduced into the bottom of the chamber 3. If desired, steam and liquid hydrocarbon may be added to this mixture, the steam being supplied through the pipe 9; the mixture in either case being used for the purpose of preheating the chambers 3 and 4. During this preheating operation, the retort 12, which extends across the top of the chamber 3will be heated as well as the mixture of liquid hydrocarbon and superheated or dried steam therein; the mixture thus seated will be discharged into the top of the chamber 3 of the adjacent generator. By introducing superheated or dried steam through the pipe 9, no solid carbon will be produced, and hence none will be deposited upon the checker-work. After the preheating operation, hydrogen and liquid hydrocarbon will be injected into the generator by the steam. The hydrocarbon will be disassociated while rising in the chamber 3 and a partial recombination will occur, the carbon in the hydrocarbon uniting with oxygen from the steam, to produce C0 The steam is preferably in excess and the gases produced within the chamber 3 will consist of CO and a hydro-carbon gas, as well as nascent hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen being in readiness to combine with the mixture admitted from the retort 12. The steam is also preferably superheated and dried to facilitate its decomposition, as well as to avoid lowering the temperature of the flue 3 and to avoid injuring the heated refractory material with which it comes into contact. The gases are then subjected to an increasing heat to the point of discharge, thereby fixing heavier hydrocarbons to a certain extent and removing the unnecessary carbon to produce a gas of higher heating value and one which is more economical in the consumption of oxygen than is the case with any of the component or foundation fluids supplied to the generator as well as those which are ordinarily employed in the cutting and welding art. The CO, produced as above described will be recovered in the trap 16 which may,-for that purpose, contain a solution of carbonate of soda.

The arrangement of the furnaces side by side enables me to utilize the waste heat of one generator for the destructive distillation of the hydrocarbon which is to be supplied for the purpose of enriching the gas or gases in the other generator. In operation, While one of these furnaces is preheating, the other will preferably be in operation, and vice versa.

In the operation of my process, the hydrogen which is supplied to the chamber 3 (whether by the pipe 9 or as present in the liquid hydrocarbon) is brought to a'nascent condition and, in this condition, combines readily and quickly with the carbon in the gaseous constituent of such liquid fuel as well as with that which is contained within the mixture discharged from the retort. The result is the production of a gas which is of a higher carbon content than that originally introduced into the generator, and this gas may be further enriched by conducting it through the tank 24.

It is here noted that the hydrocarbon liquid introduced into the retort is preferably of heavier gravity than that of the hydrocarbon liquid or gas supplied to the chamber 3 therebeneath.

The temperature to which the refractory material 2 will be heated by the operation of blowing-up or preheating may be as high as 3000 F. and is generally no lower than 2200 F. By increasing the temperature above 2200 F., the proportion of the hydrogen constituent in the gas ultimately produced will be correspondingly increased while the proportion of such hydrocarbon constituent will be correspondingly decreased.

The gas produced by the process described hereinbefore and with the generator heated to approximately 2200 F. will contain substantially 4 85% hydrogen, 10% of gas of the CH series,

5% of gas of the G l-I series.

As the temperature of the generator isincreased, the. proportion of hydrogen will be correspondingly increased while the proportions of the other gases will be correspondingly decreased, so that if the temperature of the generator is as high as 3000 F., the resultant gas will contain as high as 98% of hydrogen with 2% of the other two gases.

By using in my generator only the mixture discharged from either of the retorts, there will be produced at a temperature of substantially 2200 F. a gas containing approximately 85% hydrogen and 15 of the CJ-I series. As the temperature of the generator is increased, the proportion of hydrogen in the gas produced is correspondingly increased while the proportion of the gas in the (3 H series is,correspondingly decreased, so that, if the generator be maintained at a temperature as high as 3000 F.,

the resultant gas will contain approximately 98% hy rogen and2% of the gas of the H series.

This application is a division of my ap-- plication N 0. 65,954, filed December 9, 1915.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The process of producing gaseous fuel which comprises subjecting steam and a hydro-carbon fluid to a temperature suflicient to dissociate the same, adding hydrocarbon fluid to the mixture thus produced, and subjecting the resultant mixture to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F.

2. The process of producing gaseous fuel which comprises sub ecting steam and a hydro-carbon fluid to a temperature suflicient to dissociate the same, adding hydro-carbon fluid to the mixture thus produced, subjecting the resultant mixture to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F., and removing CO from the gaseous product thus formed.

3: The process of producing gaseous fuel Which comprises subjecting superheated steam and a hydro-carbon fluid to a temperature sufficient to dissociate the same, adding to the mixture thus produced a heated mixture of a second hydro-carbon fluid and dried or superheated steam, subjecting the resultant mixture to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F., and removing CO from the gaseous product thus formed. 4. The process of producing gaseous fuel which comprises conducting a mixture of' steam and a hydro-carbon fluid through a duct containing refractory material heated to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F., to dissociate the fluids comprised in said mixture, addingto the mixture thus produced a heated mixture of steam and hydro-carbon fluid, and conducting the resultant mixture through a duct containing refractory material heated to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F.

5. The process of producing gaseous fuel which comprises conducting a mixture of superheated steam and a hydro-carbon fluid through a duct containing refractory material heated to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F., to dissociate the fluids comprised in said mixture, adding to the mixture thus "produced a heated mixture of liquid hydro-carbon and superheated or dried steam, conducting the resultant mixture through a duct containing refractory material heated to a temperature not materially lower than 2200 F., and removing CO from the gaseous product thus formed.

6. The

process of producing gaseous fuel which comprises subjecting steam and a hydrogen containing fluid to a temperature not materially lower than 2200? R, adding and a hy(ir0-carb0n fluid to a temperature not materially iowei than 2200 F, adding hydro-carbon fluid to the mixture thus produced, subjecting the resultant mixture ta w a temperature not materially lewer than 2200 F, and removing 0G tram the gaseous product thus formed. I a

In testimony whereefi I hereunto afix my signature. 

